The interim government has planned to form an independent data commission to protect citizens’ data and ensure planned distribution of investments in information, communications and technology sector and accessibility to organised digital information.
While delivering a keynote at the launching of effective e-governance: accelerating e-government and digital public services in Bangladesh project on Monday, ICT Division’s policy adviser for coordination and reform Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb made the statement.
Alleging the previous government of isolating ICT-depended government agencies and projects in the name of ‘ill-intentional’ digital development, Faiz said that the previous government, driven by vested interests, created unnecessary debt burden by unplanned investment and also unprotected citizen data.
‘The data commission will protect citizen data. Entities like Election Commission, Department of Immigration and Passports and Bangladesh Bank will not be allowed to use citizen data without permission from the commission,’ Faiz added.
Funded by the European Union, the launched project worth € 9,7 million would be implemented by the e-Governance Academy (eGA) and British Council, partnering with the Bangladesh government.
Aims of the four-year project are to transform Bangladesh’s public administration and governance by integrating digital processes, building a skilled workforce and enhancing public service delivery and design, according to organisers.
eGA team leader Piret Kuhlbars and British Council Bangladesh team leader Arsen Stepanyan briefed about the project’s three components, including digital interaction, coordination and communication between government wings, strengthening public sector employees’ capacities and improving public service quality.
EU delegation to Bangladesh’s head of cooperation Michal Krejza, while sharing frustration on mismanaged investment in Bangladesh’s ICT sector, expressed his hope on the newly launched project.
Asking for coordination, he said, ‘There should be a common institution that would be capable of telling everybody from the public sector which will be designing IT sector in the future, whether or not those designs are aligned with the common architecture.’
Cabinet Division secretary for coordination and reforms Mahmudul Hossain Khan, ICT Division secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury, eGA head of competence centre Arvo Ott and British Council Bangladesh director of programmes, David Knox, among others, also spoke on the occasion.